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Government Sponsor “Madneuli” ,,historically pollutes” the Environment

November 15, 2010
Manon Bokuchava, Kvemo Kartli

Environment defenders have been expressing concern about the pollution of the rivers Kazretula and Mashavera by the remnants of the enterprise “Madneuli.”  According to the information of local government, one of the serious pollutions occurred in May-June of 2010.

“We received information about the next pollution from the local government. According to them, river Mashavera really got cleaned once. It was obvious that the water and remnants used by “Madneuli” didn’t go down in the river. The fish started living in the river. But, in the summer, according to locals, the river brought the dead fish ashore. The Ministry of Environmental Protection also has this information. The national environmental agency conducted the relevant analyses at their request,” – tells us the coordinator of Network of Caucasian Environmental Organizations Rezo Getiashvili, - ,,the data of national environmental agency is alarming. The issue of Madneuli responsibility is on the agenda, but the question is following: why the Ministry and the whole government in general didn’t make the results of this check up public?! Bolnisi residents, who live in the polluted environment, have a right enshrined by constitution to have this information. They should know what dangers there are in their living environment to be able to avoid it.”

The Ministry of Environment did not respond on our questions about “Madneuli,” but as our colleague Netgazeti writes – the Ministry of Environment accidentally transferred the results of monitoring on the pollution of rivers by Madneuli.

In the “accidentally’’ transferred document that was prepared by the national environmental agency by the order of environmental inspection, the results are following; the heavy metal concentration in the river Mashavera largely exceeds the established norms. The copper concentration is 14 times more than norm, zinc – 5 times, metal – 9 times and manganum – 2 times.

The research results show that the pollution of the river Mashavera starts at the point where it’s joined by the river Kazretula. The river Kazretula flows near “Madneuli.” Both rivers are used for irrigation. Consequently, people receive the products from the ground full of heavy metals.

Years ago Georgian doctors talked about ecology problems of Bolnisi region. For example, Davit Tatishvili center stated that because of such ecological picture there are many oncology diseases in Bolnisi. Back then the Bolnisi government asked the corresponding center to examine the citizens. “Out of 706 ladies from Bolnisi, 253 happened to have breast fibrositis mastopathy. In a short time after receiving this information all the medical departments, including Tatishvili Center stopped talking about this topic.

The executive director of Green Alternative Nino Gujaraidze shows us the letter that was included in one of their reports. The letter was sent to the medical departments by Bolnisi municipality City Council. In the letter we read the instruction of City Counsil which orders the medical departments to issue information after reaching agreement with City Council press service.

“The biggest crime against “Madneuli” committed by government was its privatization. In the privatization agreement it was written that the investor was not responsible for the old historical pollution of the enterprise. The term “historical pollution” is strange for the law. While privatization, all the environmental obligations are transferred to the new owner of the enterprise. The thing is that no audit examination was conducted to find out what this “historical pollution’’ was and what was added by the new investor. The situation was created when about every new pollution investor can say that it is from the past. It is government’s fault to be in such a situation,” – states Nino Gujaraidze.

The owner of “Madneuli” now is Russian company Promishlenie Investor. To hide the fact that one of the largest enterprises in the country was transferred to Russian, at first it was said that the buyer is successful British company Stanton Equitieze Corporation. Later, this company turned out to have a foster Russian company who happened to be the real owner of “Madneuli.”
Gujiashvili also talks about the unusual protective attitude towards Russian company - ,,this company receives the environmental permission with unusual speed.”

Other facts also talk about the harmonious co-existence of Madneuli and the government. All the general directors that Madneuli had are in close ties with the government. One of them was the current majority deputy of Bolnisi Koba Nakopia who moved to Parliament after “productive” work in Madneuli. The second one is Manuchar Akhalaia, who, according to media information, might become the leader of Abkhazian government one day.

Madneuli, factually is the sponsor of the influential circles of government. “The enterprise is in the hands of Russians, but naturally Georgians also make money. Apart from the river pollution, there are other serious problems. The obtained ore is transferred to the so-called Kudsatsavi of town of Kazreti. There are piles of raw materials there. Technologically the system is conducted in the following way – there is a drainage on the top of hill where the war materials are irrigated by Natrium cyanide. This material is too poisonous. It’s been this way for years now. The surrounding areas are full of these substances and everything is dead there. The similar so-called Kudsatsavi was created in Romania and it was almost equal to genocide,” – stated the leader of Green Party Giorgi Gachechiladze.

Like the Ministry of Environment, the Human Rights Center wrote a letter to Madneuli administration. However, the answers were not received. Generally, when the talk refers the question of ecology, Madneuli administration always states that there are no serious problems in this area. The locals avoid to openly talk about this issue since they are the ones employed in this enterprise.

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